


Aniversary

by Natallee_Kae



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Analysis, Filling In the Gaps, Game: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Game: Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Writing this at midnight, black ops and advanced warefare exist in the same universe right??, yay insomnia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:07:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28668957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natallee_Kae/pseuds/Natallee_Kae
Summary: After his discharge from the Marines, Jack Mitchell adjusts to a civilian life. On a train ride, he meets an old man with a story to tell about his past. A story that doesn't sound so alien to Jack.
Kudos: 8





	Aniversary

**Author's Note:**

> I thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if David Mason from Black Ops II were to meet Mitchell from Advanced Warfare and have a conversation about their experiences in the military. I personally believe that the two games exist in the same universe/timeline and that David would be alive when Mitchell is in 2054.  
> (this story takes place after the ending of BO2 where Alex Mason is killed.)

It was a fairly empty carriage. Quiet, mostly. A well-kempt businessman talked loudly on his cell-phone a few rows down. A toddler babbled down the end with no awareness of their sound levels. Other than that, a consistent mumble of quiet conversation. It was how Jack liked it, and how it usually was when he took the train. He had the row to himself, but he was never one for taking up space, so his duffel bag lay on the floor beside him, under his seat.

He was on the way to the grocery store. He only needed food for one. He lived alone in an apartment in Boston. It was cheap and there was work. He couldn’t drive, but the public transport was accessible and convenient. He would have preferred a means of transport that wasn’t so public, since sometimes he would encounter rude onlookers who would whisper not-so-quietly about his missing arm. However he did not have the money to hire a taxi daily, and beggars can’t be choosers. Luckily, most people were respectful.

He had an office job. Nothing like the blood pumping action of the army. No, his new job was mind numbing. Jack had thought he had escaped the confines of a 9 to 5 job by enlisting in the marines. It was true that it was more dangerous than a regular job, but it was exhilarating. The danger was exciting. But Jack didn’t have good luck. An unlucky accident led to another, and he was arm-less, job-less and friend-less.

It had been 4 months of living this new life. The day to day became a blurry image and Jack wasn’t sure if he had gotten used to it or was still stuck on the battlefield in his mind. His fingers itched. His muscles twitched at the idea of going back onto the field.

He _did_ have an option. The option was on a little card in his wallet. The card read ‘Atlas Corporation’ and had a phone number which Jack wanted to, and didn’t want to call. He had no idea what to expect from this opportunity. _A private military corporation? How legal was that?_ He didn’t know whether he wanted to take that jump. Especially after the experiences he had faced, losing Will and losing his arm. If he pushed through long enough, he could get used to his new life. He could live normally and die with a family and children like everyone else.

On Jack’s right, the aisle side, he noticed that a man had accidentally kicked his duffel bag while trying to walk down the aisle, which was sticking out from under the seat. Embarrassed, he reached down to pull it in, apologizing profusely. The man was elderly, with smooth white hair and white stubble. He looked to be around 80 years old, but was surprisingly agile for his age. He wore a tan jacket over a button up shirt and loose jeans, as well as leather boots. The man smiled warmly, insisting that he didn’t mind. There were plenty of empty rows, but for a reason Jack didn’t know, the man sat down opposite him.

Jack smiled back, suddenly feeling conscious of his stump, seeing the man’s eyeline focused there. The man then looked up to his face and spoke with a raspy but strong voice.

“I had a buddy who lost an arm too. He was a marine.” Jack realized that this comment was most likely made out of politeness since he had been caught staring. He didn’t mind so much, as the topic of the army came up.

“Really? Funny. I’m ex-marine.” He spoke with surprise. The man looked shocked too, but also pleased.

“I was a commander in the Navy SEALs. Funny that!” The man laughed fully. It was a pleasant sound. The man was clearly at the point in his life where the military was so far behind him that he could laugh about it. “When did you serve?”

“I was discharged from the Marines 4 months ago after my accident.” Jack tried not to appear too sad in front of the stranger. The man seemed to see past it, and looked sorrowful too.

“I’m sorry. How bad was it?” It was a silly question. Obviously he didn’t have an arm anymore so there was _that_ answer. Jack had the feeling he meant it in a less physical way, and in more of a psychological way.

“I’m dealing. My best friend died to save me. It’s hard to deal with that sort of thing, you know?” The man nodded in contemplation. He seemed as though he knew the exact feeling very well. “We grew up together and enlisted together. It just didn’t occur to me that I’d lose him so easily.” Jack realized that he was spilling his emotions to a total stranger but was too unravelled to stop.

“Some people are taken away from us, not because of the person they were, but _despite_ the person they were.” The man said wistfully. Jack nodded thoughtfully in return. The man extended his hand forward to initiate a handshake. Jack noticed gratefully that the man seemed to consider which hand he would have to use so that Jack could reciprocate. “David Mason.” He introduced himself.

Jack shook his hand. “Jack Mitchell.”

“My dad died when I was ten. He had been shot by his best friend. Accidentally. It was a setup. He thought he was shooting someone else, someone they had been hunting, but… I didn’t know any of that until I had already been in the military for thirty years.” He looked angry for a moment. “I never wanted him to go back to the military, but he didn’t listen. He never did.”

Jack took a second to digest the story and come up with the right words to say. “Do you blame him? The person who shot your dad?” He asked cautiously.

“No. I used to blame my dad for it. For going back into the military, for putting targets on his back. For not just being my dad. But the guy - his name was Frank - he took me in. Raised me. He was a good guy. I blame no one now. Blaming things on people is useless. It doesn’t change anything, it just makes you resentful.”

Jack felt a pang of anger within himself. “I blame myself sometimes, for what happened to my best friend. There had to have been something I could have done.”

David hummed in understanding. “And these things can’t be helped. We all blame ourselves. For the littlest or the biggest things we can’t control. You eventually learn that it’s impossible for you to control everything.”

The sound of the train took over the conversation as the two looked out at the window of the busy city, filled with cars, lights and screens. David had an astounded look in his eyes that showed that despite all the years he had lived in the city, he still couldn’t imagine how it had become the way it had become. Jack had another question to ask.

“Do you regret it? Going into the military like your dad?” He inquired. David looked back at him with warm eyes.

“I do not. I don’t have many regrets in my life anymore. I retired from the military at 48. I was fit to serve still, but I wanted to leave after learning about my father. I’m glad I did, because I’ve been able to experience many happy things that the military wouldn’t allow me to experience. But still, the time spent in the Navy is unforgettable. The people I met. The feeling of satisfaction from serving the country, saving people. I wouldn’t give up those memories.”

Jack nodded. A couple minutes later, David stood up to get off at his stop. He waved goodbye. Later in the evening, back at his apartment, Jack pulled out the business card from his wallet. He unlocked his phone and he dialled the number.


End file.
